The term “hidden city” conjures up all sorts of romantic notions: a Mayan city lost in a jungle; a Soviet-era science city excluded from maps; abandoned tunnels under a city, beyond the rule of law. It’s also part of a strategy some people use to save a lot of money when traveling. I’ve posted about my plan…… Continue reading Hidden Cities
Author: Tom Wilson
My Post-Election Microblog
https://twitter.com/TomPhase3/status/795997055781105668 In 1960, in a school playground in Northern England, boys were grabbing younger boys and demanding: “Nixon or Kennedy?” If you answered “Nixon” you got roughed up. All the boys were answering “Kennedy” so I answered “Nixon.” I was nine. My nephews are eight and nine. I wonder if last week’s election has inspired…… Continue reading My Post-Election Microblog
The Meaning of Shadows
This morning I photographed my shadow, firmly attached to me. Although it was almost noon, the sun was quite low in the sky. In 1847 Hans Christian Andersen wrote The Shadow, a short story that talks to the present time. Here’s the bare details: A man gave his shadow permission to leave and explore the…… Continue reading The Meaning of Shadows
A Strange Election
A strange thing happened today as I was jogging slowly round our neighborhood lake, Lake of the Isles. A diminutive older woman was trying to catch my attention. She announced proudly in a Russian accent that she was voting for the Republican candidate for President. “Very good, very good” she declared to prove her case. By…… Continue reading A Strange Election
Dreaming of Circling the Globe
The other day I found myself poring over this Google map. Each red dot marks a place I’ve visited in the past four years. Google has been watching me. Some places don’t count: in Seoul I was in transit to Busan, in Salt Lake City we were on our way to Palm Springs, and in…… Continue reading Dreaming of Circling the Globe
Our Annual Walk on Fall Leaves
Every October, after the peak of Fall foliage has subsided, we head up to the North Shore of Lake Superior to walk sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We like this time of year: the trails are uncrowded, the temperatures are good for hiking, and mosquitoes are done for the year. Besides, we don’t need…… Continue reading Our Annual Walk on Fall Leaves
My Most Expensive Night Away from Home, Ever
Notes: In the above infographic I used a stock photograph of surgery being performed using a da Vinci robot, a device that costs about $2 million. July 2016, a surgeon operated a da Vinci on me via five small incisions. I was glued to the table: alcohol was sprayed on my back to activate…… Continue reading My Most Expensive Night Away from Home, Ever
Walking in the Company of Crows
Jigokudani (Hell Valley), Shikotsu-Toya National Park Between flights at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport I noticed a comment on my Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North blog post. The writer recommended a book, Ainu Folk Tales. The Ainu are the indigenous people of Hokkaido. Much of their culture is handed down verbally from generation to generation…… Continue reading Walking in the Company of Crows
Let’s Play “Which Button Do I Press?”
Question 1: Which button do I press to dispense hot water? A Japanese hotel room is an oasis from the complexity of navigating Japan. I can kick back, have a nice cup of tea, and calmly plan my next adventures. Or can I? Most Japanese hotel rooms have buttons you need to press to complete…… Continue reading Let’s Play “Which Button Do I Press?”
Mt. Asahidake: Shapes in the Mist
The cable car goes part-way up Mt. Asahidake in central Hokkaido. I took it to reduce my round-trip hike to the summit to 3½ hours. When I started out from the cable-car station, I could not see the summit, but I expected the sky to clear as the day warmed up. Sulfurous steam vents did…… Continue reading Mt. Asahidake: Shapes in the Mist